Experience Munich

Chic and cosmopolitan, carefree and kitschy. Bavaria's capital and one of Germany's biggest cities, Munich has more than its share of great museums, architectural treasures, historic sites, and world-class shops, restaurants, and hotels. The same could be said of its abundance of lederhosen and oompah bands. But it's the overall feeling of Gemütlichkeit, or conviviality, that makes the city so special. Tourists flock to Munich year-round, but festival dates -- especially Fasching, or Carnival, in the winter, and Oktoberfest in the fall -- draw the most.

As Munich is the world capital of beer and beer culture, you should definitely try some of the local brew, either in one of the larger, noisier beer halls or in a smaller Kneipe, a bar where all types of people get together for basic meals and beer. When the first spring rays of sun begin warming the air, Müncheners flock to their famous beer gardens, where tourists and locals alike gather in the shade of massive chestnut trees. The city's most famous festival, the beer-soaked Oktoberfest, started as an agricultural fair held on the occasion of a royal marriage and has now become one of the biggest public festivals in the world, spawning imitators around the globe.

The other Munich is one of refinement and sophistication, high-fashion boutiques and five-star restaurants. Various "all-nighter" events throughout the year celebrate museum-going, literature, and musical performances. The city's appreciation of the arts began under the kings and dukes of the Wittelsbach Dynasty, which ruled Bavaria for more than 750 years until 1918. The Wittelsbach legacy is alive and well in the city's fabulous museums, the Opera House, the Philharmonic, and much more.

Munich's cleanliness, safety, and comfortable pace give it an ever so slightly rustic feeling, despite the fact that it's a relatively large, prosperous city. This, combined with broad sidewalks, endless shops and eateries, views of the Alps, and a huge green park that easily gives Central Park a run for its money, the English Garden, makes Munich one of Germany's most enjoyable cities.